Rifleman Q&A: A Hornet In Father’s Attic

by
posted on April 22, 2025
Savage .22 Hornet single-shot rifle
NRA member photos.

Q. I was helping a friend clean out his attic when we found this Savage .22 Hornet single-shot rifle. Everything was tight, and we couldn’t move the scope adjustments or mounts. As a result, we couldn’t see the model number.

I tried looking online but couldn’t find anything about the time this gun or its scope were made. The rifle belonged to my friend’s father, and he doesn’t remember ever seeing it. We’re both in our late 70s. I’ve enclosed some photos of the rifle and scope, hoping the scope will help identify the rifle; I assume he probably bought them together. Any help would be appreciated.


A. Thank you for your inquiry regarding your friend’s .22 Hornet Savage single-shot rifle. Your rifle appears to be the Model 219 single-shot. This rifle was introduced with the Model 219B in 1938. The optic attached appears to be a Lyman Junior Targetspot scope.


"Questions & Answers" is compiled by staff, Field and Contributing Editors from the inquiries about guns, ammunition and their use received by American Rifleman. Direct answers to technical and historical questions are provided only to NRA members. Submit letters to: Dope Bag, NRA Publications, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400 or to: [email protected]. Include your membership number or current copy of an NRA magazine mailing label or membership card and a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope. Please limit each letter to one specific question. Technical or historical questions cannot be answered by telephone, and even approximate values on guns or other equipment cannot be provided. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for replies.

Latest

Colt Monitor with FBI agents
Colt Monitor with FBI agents

Colt Monitor: The FBI’s “Fighting Rifle”

In the years between the World Wars, a rare variation of the Browning Automatic Rifle proved its reputation as an effective, devastating automatic rifle for combat between the country’s lawmen and its outlaws.

The Armed Citizen® May 19, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Report Shows Inventory, Prices Have Dropped At Firearm Retailers

Nearly all gun and related gear inventories at retailers dropped in the last 12 months. So have most prices paid at the counter, according to the year-over-year comparison detailed in the latest RetailBI report.

Preview: Fix It Sticks Model 700 Quick Action Brush

For owners of Remington 700-pattern rifles, Fix It Sticks now offers one such specialty tool designed to clean those hard-to-reach recesses of the Remington receiver.

The Return Of The Taurus 58

Taurus has re-introduced its Model 58 semi-automatic handgun in 2025, bringing in a larger, easier-to-shoot defensive handgun chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge.

Preview: Timney Lever Action Trigger

Timney has now brought its trigger-tuning prowess to the resurgent lever gun platform.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.